faith-full
"We who live by day must be alert, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet." —1 Thessalonians 5:8
All the aspects of God's plan of salvation are interrelated. They are all either true, or they are all not true. For example, if we doubt that Jesus will come again (see 1 Thes 5:2ff), why should we believe the Church and her Bible on other matters? If the Church has wrongly prohibited birth control for two thousand years, why trust the Church when it proclaims Jesus' resurrection from the dead? If we don't believe in the existence and activity of demons (see Lk 4:33ff), then our baptismal promises are invalid or at least misguided, for at Baptism we reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises.
Thus, "guard the rich deposit of faith with the help of the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us" (2 Tm 1:14). By God's grace, believe the fullness of faith, or your faith will erode and eventually collapse. What element of the faith do you find most difficult to believe? This element will either help you tie together aspects of your faith, or it will be the thread which will be used to unravel your faith. Ask the Lord to grace you with faith concerning the revelation most difficult to believe. Believe the fullness of the truth.
Prayer: Father, give me great faith where I have previously had little faith.
Promise: "All were struck with astonishment, and they began saying to one another: 'What is there about His speech? He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they leave.' " —Lk 4:36
Praise: Repenting of using birth control resulted in a new flow of graces in John and Sharon's marriage and family life.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, February 13, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 20, 2001